High Volume Pump having low hydrostatic head

Abstract

A pump for providing high volume flows with a low hydrostatic head. The pump is particularly suited for heated fluids such as those from a solar collector and the like.

1 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head comprising:
 (i) a pipe containing fluid leading to and from a housing;   (ii) a plurality of sections working in concert, each section comprising an inlet and an outlet for moving fluid and a compression face;   (iii) the sections rotating about an axis parallel to the direction of the pipe;   (iv) each of the inlets having a channel for receiving the moving fluid;   (v) the compressing face working in cooperation with said channel for adding a constriction in the cross sectional area of the fluid as the fluid accelerates through the channel;   (vi) a transition region wherein the fluid decelerates smoothly transforming the movement of the fluid into hydrostatic pressure as the cross sectional area of the channel increases.   
     
     
         2 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the channel further comprises an inlet throat, a guiding face, and a receding face. 
     
     
         3 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the channel further comprises a shroud. 
     
     
         4 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the clearance between the outer diameter of the shroud and the inner diameter of the housing is approximately two one hundredths of an inch. 
     
     
         5 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 4  further comprising a seal between the shroud and the housing. 
     
     
         6 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 4  wherein each of the compressing faces further imparts momentum to the fluid preceding each of the inlets in the same direction as the rotation of the inlet face. 
     
     
         7 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the rotational velocity of the plurality of sections is approximately twice that of the angular velocity of the adjacent fluid at the inlet. 
     
     
         8 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 7  wherein the fluid is water. 
     
     
         9 . An axial pump for moving large fluid flows with a small hydrostatic head in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the water is near the boiling point. 
     
     
         10 . A method for designing an axial impeller type pump for moving large volumes of fluid at a low hydrostatic head comprising:
 (i) providing an acceleration zone wherein a fluid is rotationally accelerated before an inlet to a pump;   (ii) scooping a portion of the fluid between a throat edge and a trailing edge of an inlet, the area being further bounded by a shroud and a compression face,   (iii) compressing the fluid by means of a compression face as the fluid accelerates;   (iv) providing an inflection point where the compression face recedes to expand the cross sectional area whereby the fluid decelerates and the kinetic energy previously imparted to the fluid is converted to pressure.